


Naydra's Wisdom

by TheDarkDrag0n



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: F/M, Fluff, I Will Go Down With This Ship, I thought this was gonna be a slow burn, Plus cute stuff, Resurrecting the kingdom and stuff, Some Plot, Some angst, The clean kind, Travel, You Decide, Zelink Year 2019, amiright, it aint, or is it Linda, zelink
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-11
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-09-16 04:52:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 20,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16947351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDarkDrag0n/pseuds/TheDarkDrag0n
Summary: Fancy title, less fancy content. Basically just about Link and Zelda tromping around Hyrule and starting reconstruction. Teeth-rotting fluff. Post-Calamity.





	1. On the Road Again

Skirting the lake around from Kakariko to the Hateno Village should have been something of a chore, but Zelda was reminded of the past traveling with her knight. They fell into a familiar routine; Link took the lead, Zelda barely a step behind, watching the way he scanned their path and remained constantly alert. They stopped frequently, almost always far preceding any mischief makers on their way. The engagements were short lived, and were always something of a spectacle.

It was like watching some sort of violent, graceful dance each time; Link barely bothered to tuck her away somewhere safe, confident as he was. His lithe form darted in and out of enemy ranks, his sword an extension of his arm, flying so fast at times that it blinked out of existence before Zelda’s eyes. It was done within a couple of minutes, and the knight would materialize before her, still bouncing on the balls of his feet.

Frankly, it was comical. Zelda knew how seriously the man regarded his duty, but it looked too easy and his eyes were too light when they caught hers. Maybe it was Calamity Ganon’s being vanquished. Maybe it was that they were touching base with close friends and making new ones. Maybe it was that they were back on the road together, pretending to have a simple existence as companions, just as they had in the past. 

Zelda tried shaking the thought from her mind, but it stubbornly stuck, especially as the thought himself turned and flashed her a ever-quick, boyish grin that belied his seriousness and made her insides flash hotly.

“If only the rest of the world would see what an absolute oaf you truly are.” She couldn’t say it without laughing, taking off the sarcastic edge. Link’s smile returned with a prolonged, welcome stay.

“I would prefer to keep that fact between ourselves, Princess.”

Oh, he had to go an say things like that. More for her mind to wonder and slave over. Despite his increasing openness and their time together in the past, Link still knew how to dish out only what he wanted others to know. His back was to her again and she knew that stoicism fell right back into place.

Head tilted back to measure the sun’s position in the sky, he deduced, “Let’s keep moving. We’ll be kept up twice as much as soon as we hit dusk.”

“Very well. The stable should be fine for lodging tonight. That way we can collect Storm and Neri.” Two birds, one stone.

At his signature curt nod, they fell back into their original positions and set off again. They passed the next hour in silence, save for the occasional startled wildlife and sparse passerby that stopped for a quick chat. Zelda began to notice the vast population of birds on their trek, especially a particularly fat variety of pheasant. Inspired by this observation and the pang in her stomach, Zelda fished around in her pack and was pleased to find all of the ingredients for one of her and Link’s favorite dish: poultry curry.

Watchful as he was, Link recognized the ingredients Zelda had pushed aside and was reaching for an arrow to knock on his bow right when she had looked up to breath the idea to him. She instead used it for an amused laugh, and he slipped into the canopy of a small wood nearby without a word. Zelda hid herself by a small rock outcropping and waited patiently, examining the surrounding herbs and tucking them away in the pocket of her pack reserved just for that purpose. She had picked some rather useful healing specimen by the time Link called out softly for her. Ducking out of her sanctuary, Zelda was immediately impressed by the largeness of the four pheasants strung to his belt. 

The corners of his mouth twitched at her expression. “Can’t you wait until we get to the stables? They taste better cooked.”

…Did he just make a joke?

“Think you’re funny, do you? I should make you a jester for all of your snark.”

Link’s nose wrinkled with distaste, but mirth made his eye twinkle in the barest. “I guess you’ll have to learn the bow and sword yourself then, Your Highness.”

The only response Zelda could manage was a baffled guffaw that would have given her father a heart attack, the undignified thing it was. But her knight couldn’t hold that carefully manicured mask in place, and he broke composure to cough-laugh into a fist.

They walked on in good spirits, picking up the pace for the time lost in their meandering. The sun, however, was merciful; it was scarcely winking over the horizon before the pair arrived at the stables.

“I am famished,” the Princess groaned, sitting down hard on a log close to the fire, readying a pot for the rice. Link situated himself across from her over the fire, plucking the feathers of the first and largest bird. They sat in cordial silence until a stable dog inched around Link’s back, causing him to shift and dart the poor thing a look of warning.

“Come here, you,” Zelda crooned sympathetically, searching her pack for an apple she swiped up earlier. The dog immediately perked and was at her side within the second, all tongue and waving tail and pleading eyes. She tossed bits into the air, watching the sheepdog leap for them. It didn’t take long for them to sidle up next to each other after the last slice was devoured, Zelda stroking the soft fur of the dog’s head, which rested heavily on her lap.

“Be careful how much you coddle him,” Link warned, eyeing the dog carefully. “Stable dogs have been known to be keen on passerby. We don’t need an extra mouth to feed.”

As if on cue, the dog shook himself and rose, trotting to Link. The latter had already neatly shaved the meat off the bird, setting aside the bones in a separate pack and shoving it between his feet. But the dog simply sat next to him, panting and gazing up expectantly at him.

“Don’t think I’m not aware of your weakness for dogs, Link. I’d be more worried about you taking him with us.”

As the words left her mouth, the dog was on its back and Link was patting its belly with a sheepish look on his face. He said nothing, simply throwing the meat into the pan and watching Zelda spice it for a moment before returning to his new friend. Under his breath, she heard him say, “Probably can’t register a dog at a stable, huh?”

Zelda’s stifled laugh turned into a gasp of horrification as Link tossed out three juicy cuts of mountain deer thigh. The dog alighted upon the meat the second each hit the ground, saving no time for Zelda to snatch them back.

“Link!” She spluttered, halfway between amazement and disgust, “What was it you just said about feeding extra mouths?”

But he took no heed of her distress, shooting her a mysterious wink and rising from their fire. The traitor trotted out into the darkness, following the dog’s quickly receding form. Zelda suddenly felt a lack of affection for both of them and turned back to their dinner, grumbling mildly to herself. They couldn’t have gone far anyway; Link would never let her out of sight.

True to her thoughts, the said man trundled back to the fire without an ounce of remorse—in fact, he seemed quite prideful, and for good reason.

“Where did you manage to snatch all of that?”

A cut of ruby the size of her fist, a Savage Lynel’s Bow, countless bundles of arrows, beautiful, elaborate tack reminiscent of the ancient Hyrule for one horse, and a pouch that bulged with what was most likely explosives what with how Link handled it.

“While you were gawking at the dog, I followed him to a hidden treasure chest,” he pronounced triumphantly, spreading out the goods on the ground. The dog hovered nearby, eyes still shining for Link.

It was hard to maintain the repartee, so Zelda simply did not. Instead, she set to inspecting each object as he laid them out, and she lingered a second longer on the tack than intended. It truly was a work of art, and in perfect condition. Instead of the royal purple that her horse of the past Indra wore, the leather was a midnight blue gilded with silver. The crest of the royal family would be worn across the horse’s chest and down the forehead only, with blue tassels adorning the flank and shoulder pieces. A blanket emblazoned with the age-old prophecy of the Hero, the Princess, and Calamity Ganon laid out underneath it all, pulling it together into a regal piece of work.

“We can put it on Storm in the morning. This saddle has a locking mechanism meant to help stabilize the rider in combat situations, so it’ll be a trick to get started with. The Sheikah designed it, of course. This is a one of a kind find.”

When all she could manage was a wide-eyed stare, Link continued, his amusement melting away.

“I know you’ve been wanting to learn the sword and bow. Even as we made light of it earlier today, your mind wandered the rest of the journey here. You were thinking about it, weren’t you? Tell me if I’m wrong, please.”

“No, you are entirely right.” Zelda folded her hands in her lap, eyes flickering between Link’s and the Master Sword upon his back. How heavy it must be, but she knew that Link would never admit to it. The Hero has been known to carry the burdens of the entire world, quite literally, and to do it silently. If she could lessen that burden, even just a little bit, it would leaven her own heart as well.

“You can’t be on alert at all times for me as well as yourself. We saw how that played out in the past. Besides, I’m sick of having to cower and wait until you conquer every single enemy we encounter. I should be prepared for any situation, and be equipped to support you, not handicap you.”

The warm smile she received was more than she could have asked for.

“You are never a handicap, Princess, but I will gladly abide by your desires. Please allow yourself to voice them more often.”

“And you too, Link,” Zelda shot back before she could think twice about it. “I would be honored to know the desires of your heart.”

Although she couldn’t quite read the emotions Link worked through just then, she felt emboldened by his gaze nonetheless. She placed a hand on his arm bracer, ignoring the prying eyes of passerby travelers.

“I am your friend before anything else, so please do not feel like you have to restrain yourself around me.”

For some unspeakable reason, Link’s expression closed off just then, and he turned back to the goods, packing them up with a graceful flourish. He freed himself of her touch by reaching for their dinner, removing it from the fire before it could burn, and neatly portioning them onto two plates he procured from his pack.

“Make sure to eat slow. This is the first heavy meal we’ve had in a while.”

Unperturbed by his reaction and warning, Zelda tucked into the meal eagerly. The pheasant meat fell apart the second she bit into it, and the curry bursted with flavor upon her tongue. It had been too long since she tasted such a rich, heady meal; she scooted away from Link when he swatted at her fork in motherly fashion.

“Quit shoveling it down like that,” he barked around a mouthful. “I’m telling you, Princess. It’s gonna come back up.”

Luckily, even after ignoring him and devouring seconds, Zelda did not puke. But her stomach protested at the huge and sudden occupancy, turning her insides to a roiling mush. Link relented after a brutal scolding and administered her a good dose of elixir. She was all leaden bones and drooping eyelids by then, only able to sit in the warmth of the fire and watch while Link set up two patchwork beds for them. The elixir had a stronger affect on her than expected; the second she tried to lift herself, the world tilted, and she with it. 

But she never hit the ground, and the warmth only continued to envelope her. The night brought no dreams to her, and she rested peacefully. 

That peace lasted a little longer into her first waking moments the next morning. The sun was just barely beginning its climb over the mountains on the horizon, casting a pale light into the valley. The air was still save for the occasional snort and stomp of the paddocked horses, and their fire was reduced to red cinders that still gave off some heat. All in all, it was the simplicity Zelda had dreamt of in her time of surveillance within the ruined Hyrule Castle. 

So busy she was with attuning herself with the land around her that Zelda did not pay attention to her immediate vicinity, and the second she did, all sleep left her being. 

That elixir truly was a strong one; Zelda wasn’t one for tossing in her sleep, but she had managed to throw herself off her blanket and into Link’s. She had successfully wrapped herself around the strong expanse of his back, legs entangled with his, and up until a second ago, their breathing synced. 

Besides her massive embarrassment, Zelda found herself marveling at the fact that Link was unawakened by her weight upon him. Even as she carefully pulled herself away to tend to the fire—and to blame its heat for the corresponding redness through her face—the man did not stir at all. His face remained unchanged in sleep; no lines marred his youthful features in the waking or dreaming realm. 

“How good are you at hiding yourself from the world, then?” Zelda whispered, leaning over his back. Long, golden tendrils escaped from behind her ears and grasped at the slumbering man’s face, and before she could do a thing about it, Link’s eyes were open and connected with hers. She vaguely realized that his hand had crept upon the Master Sword and then back to his side when he recognized her. His other hand was busy threading through the hair that fell around his face, taking a sweet pause before brushing it out of the way. Zelda sat back on her haunches and allowed Link to rise. Wordlessly, she got on with the fire again, muttering something along the lines of “Good morning.” 

Just then, Beedle staggered into existence and crashed down next to the resurrected fire and saved them both from an awkward exchange. The man had a funnily assorted face; his nose was burnt to oblivion from constant sun exposure and protruded proudly from his face. Two tiny eyes accented the large thing, but they were kind eyes that smiled at her. 

“Well then, Link, I only came over to say hello, but it looks as if you’re occupied!”

So much for a save.

“Not at all, Beedle,” Link responded with a welcoming grin, pulling his Champion’s tunic over his head before joining them by the fire. “I would ask you to mind your manners. Meet your Princess Zelda of Hyrule. Your Highness, this is Beedle. He is a commendable merchant.”

“The princess,” the tradesmen spluttered, turning to gawk at Zelda. He swiftly disengaged himself from his luggage to fall on his knees in a sprawling bow. “Your Majesty, how we have been awaiting your return.” 

Zelda had begun to glare hotly over the man’s head at her knight, but Beedle jerked her away by taking her hands in his own and fixing tearful eyes on her face.

“I heard from Link. How you fought so bravely against Calamity Ganon for a whole century! And look at you now, all in one piece. Hylia has more in store for you, young one.”

That hidden gem passed away quickly from their midst, and Beedle reassumed his gaudy demeanor. He bowed once more to the princess and inched toward Link, and both of them began bartering as if nothing odd had transpired.

But Zelda was utterly content watching Link being cajoled by Beedle just then, knowing that she was in the right place at the right time. Because the words that passed through those man’s lips were of great significance, whether he realized that or not. 

Her purpose had not expired within those castle walls.


	2. Eyes

After several long minutes of walking and only being able to see just in front of her nose, Zelda began to regret their coming to this mysterious forest.

She had been here long before this time, but it never ceased to raise the little hairs on the back of her neck and send a thread of anxiety down the center of her scalp. The fog swirled around them, beckoning here, then there, a silent dare to tread once in the wrong direction. The trees were strangely humanoid with gaping maws and reaching branches for arms, frozen in a eternity of sorrow. 

Things rattled in the distance, and the cry of a lone wolf followed them through the dark. It was smack dab in the middle of the day, but that didn’t matter here. The world didn’t seem to be quite their own anymore, and the forest obeyed no rules.

Luckily, handy as he was, Link procured a torch and lit it at the entrance of the forest, and it was following the cold breeze from there on. 

“Stay close,” his voice floated toward her through the mist. “It’s not called the Lost Woods for nothing.”

Easy enough to say, but harder in practice. The further in, the thicker the fog became. Zelda found herself too prideful to latch onto Link; their conversation about her being baggage in the past rung ruefully in her ears, and she wouldn’t go back on those words, not even in the slightest. 

It seemed that the goddesses were not in her favor this day; mere seconds after she marinated on that, she tripped over a unearthed tree root thicker than one of her legs, and Link’s torch winked out of existence.

Panic seized her immediately. She’d heard stories about naughty children that arrogantly tromped into this forest and never made it back out. These woods, in reality, were not meant to be malignant so much as discouraging, but it was the things potentially inside that frightened her. 

She was alone again.

Zelda did not bother calling for her knight; she knew she’d made the wrong step and been swept away somewhere, and wasn't looking to attract unwanted attention. Closing her eyes and taking a deep breath of damp air helped her mind to start back up with a small cough. Then she moved on.

“I need to start a light,” she murmured aloud, keenly aware of her surroundings. Her foot sent a good sized branch downhill; her heart lightened and she chased after it. A small piece of flint and the dagger Link gifted to her served well to light the makeshift torch. Her prayer dress’s hem was sacrificed for this purpose, and Zelda sent up several hallelujahs to the sky as the red flame grew hungrily and lapped at the mist. 

Watch for things that aren’t there, Link’s voice resonated in her skull, a distant memory. The things that go bump in the night aren’t to be worried about. It’s the things that make no noise at all that will fall upon you all at once—and then that’s it.

It was ironic that she’d remember such a thing when the light of her fire touched something close in the dark, revealing two, floating green orbs that blinked once in the long second Zelda held her breath. Its own breath stirred the fog enough for her to see a long, dark snout and pearly white fangs. A wolf, and presumably the one that they’d been hearing since they entered the forest. She had been offered up as a convenient snack for the great beast.

It stepped forward, head low, and Zelda could do nothing but remain petrified in place. In a detached sort of way, she noticed it lowering further to the ground, effectively making itself smaller as it came into the light of her torch. 

Warm blood flowed through her limbs once again, and she could breath. The wolf was still a wolf, she had no doubt there. But those eyes were achingly familiar and as blue as Lake Hylia in its prime, and gazed up at her with something beyond animal comprehension. 

“Who are you?” 

The wolf flicked an ear at her and shook out its impressive mane in response. It was huge around the chest, of which moved with calm, calculated breaths. The wolf was big for it’s kind; his shoulder easily stood at her hip. A beast that would instantly put Link on high-alert.

But he simply turned tail in the direction her fire waved, the white markings on his body glowing in its faint respite. Those markings shifted with his powerful gait, pausing only just before he disappeared into the swirling fog.

Dazedly, Zelda inched forward, and watched the wolf do the same. He paused when she did to look over his shoulder and whuff, giving a great show of patience for her bemusement.

“Okay then, Wolf,” she mustered shakily. “Show me.”

With that, he set off at a brisk trot, and Zelda did her best not to repeat the mistake that separated her from Link. But even so, the wolf would slow before she stumbled and when her breathing became more laborious, as if his ears picked up on the littlest things in her accord. She felt safe.

Their trek was anything but short, however. Zelda must have wandered horribly off course, but her guide was confident and they traveled quickly. Things still stirred just outside of sight, but a low-bodied growl from the wolf quelled it instantly. He couldn’t protect her from herself, though, and she continued to stumble over unseen roots, effectively scraping up her hands and knees. 

Finally, right after a brutal finale that brought Zelda rolling head over heels and left her bleeding, the fog dispersed and her guide sat adverse to her. 

It was as if an entirely different forest burst upon them; the dead trees gave way to flourishing blossoms and lush green. She heard several timid squeals and found that she startled several Koroks out of play. Some of the kindred spirits fled, but one stood his ground, a twig raised shakily before him. Zelda could do nothing to reassure the little creature; her legs gave way into a blanket of grass underneath her just as she spotted a familiar figure rush forward.

“Princess!”

Link’s eyes were almost frantic when he came upon her, but hardened once he sighted the wolf. The Master Sword released a long shiiing as Link relieved it of its scabbard, placing himself in between Zelda and the beast. The latter tensed only minutely in response. 

“Please, leave him. That wolf is the reason I am here right now, and not still wandering in the Woods.”

_It would be wise to heed your Princess’ words, Hero._

The Deku Tree’s voice moved the forest around them like a soft breeze. At his speaking, a handful of little Koroks bled from their hiding places and made a beeline for the wolf. He sat as still as a rock as the spirits inspected the chain around his foreleg, peered into his ears, and lifted his tail. A ruffled shake of his head threw the cluster of Koroks into a fit of hysterical yahahas, and they shifted their attention to their beloved Hero.

“Soon after I lost you, this wolf found me. I was frightened at first—he is much larger than a Maraudo wolf—but he… he saved me. I truly believe that.” Zelda paused to gaze at the wolf again, whose eyes seemed to never leave her. Eyes that were warm somehow, that seemed to want to say things, but were left trapped behind a sleek maw.

But Link was already far away, ensnared by a torment that was usually confined to the depths of the night, born from nightmares. He took two threatening steps forward and this time, the wolf rose to meet him. Zelda began to pull herself off the ground when a larger Korok was suddenly there, tiny arm jut out to block her.

“Kitu,” she hissed, recognizing the older sprite. 

“Watch, Miss Zelda.”

And she did. She watched as the Master Sword began to pulse with light, weakly at first, and then discharge at full capacity when the wolf neared it. It broke Link out of his daze, who then halted. The Sword emitted another surge of energy before it hit a equilibrium, and another voice entered their midst.

_So you are the Hero of this time._

Link’s hand shot to his chest and he served the wolf a bow only shared between comrades, to which the recipient lowered his own head in response.

_Rise, and sheathe the sword._

When Link obeyed, the wolf swung his great head around to regard Zelda again. She felt tears flood her cheeks, and her body moved of its own accord. His voice was too familiar and it made her heart clench in ways that she had experienced spectating Link from the confines of the wretched castle. It confused her, but above all, she was strangely mournful.

_You change little through the ages, Princess. Very little._

His voice held that same anguish, and she knew who he was. Brief flashes of memories that were not quite her own flooded her mind indiscriminately. There were many past lives that required each age’s Hero and Princess to fit into specific roles, but this time was one of perpetual, impregnable darkness. It was a time of utter betrayal and chaos. It made her thankful that she was able to confine Calamity Ganon mostly to Hyrule Castle, even if it had prolonged her life a bleak century. The Link of the Twilight Era was affected greatly by his time in the Twilight Realm, and his closeness with Midna held gravity in the relationship between him and the Princess. There was no such confusion in this lifetime. 

Zelda realized she’d crawled right up to the wolf when his warm breath ruffled the baby hairs around her face. Even in wolf form, she could see the man inside struggling to hold onto impassivity, but Link was always weak through his eyes. 

“I could say the same about you, Link.”

His eyelids lowered when her fingers carded through the thick fur of his cheek. So he wasn’t an apparition. How strange it was, for him to be able to exist alongside his successor, that he was able to exist at all in this world. When Zelda quietly asked such of him, he replied, 

_It has happened before, in my time specifically. There were certain skills I was to obtain in order to defeat Ganondorf, and my predecessor was able to help me acquire those skills._

Zelda frowned; she recollected nothing of the wolf appearing before Link. He seemed to read the thought as soon as it entered her mind, for he panted a mysterious smile. 

_I do my work in the shadows, Princess._

Link stepped forward, and the mirth left the wolf’s face. He released himself gently from Zelda’s touch and stepped around her, and she realized that he no longer seemed entirely there; his outline was becoming fuzzy and hummed harmoniously with the Sword. 

_And it seems that there is nothing left for me to do. My presence has combated enough with yours as it is._

Link bowed his head once more. The wolf turned one last time to lay eyes upon his Princess through the ages. She gazed back at him in full, and he couldn’t help but whuff a small laugh; his princess was never good at controlling her emotions. As if the present Link could read his mind, the former allowed for a small smile. His eyes were not upon his ancestor.

_Cherish this time, Link. It does not come often, if ever. Cherish it._

The trees breathed around them, and the beast succumbed in a shower of light. A hoard of Koroks rushed to meet it, dancing. They sang a haunting song that billowed in and around the lone Hylians, one that the great Deku Tree even contributed a low hum to.

Spell broken, Link crouched at Zelda’s side and promptly began to inspect her injuries. Still taken by the previous scene, she allowed herself to be fussed over. In a matter of minutes Link had her salved and patched up, ready for the road again. At least physically. Emotionally, however, it seemed she was in a stand still. 

“Don’t let yourself become wrapped up in the past, Princess. We’ve had enough of that in this lifetime alone.”

This sobered her. Dusting off, she rose to her feet and went to properly greet the Deku Tree and some of the surrounding Koroks. Link stood respectfully off to the side, allowing her some time to gather her bearings. It gave him a chance to do the same; outwardly, he was stoney-faced, but Zelda knew better. Not a word had slipped past the tight line of his lips since his last utterance. She could only imagine what her disappearance had done to him, and then parading into the glen sporting injuries with a massive wolf in her shadow—he must’ve been in pieces. That the wolf was a relic of a past life of his must have put icing on the cake. 

As tentatively as she could muster on sore legs, Zelda wrapped up her time with the forest spirits and approached her knight. His true blue eyes watched her descend from the stone steps. To many people, he might be viewed as unreadable, but Zelda saw the tension in his shoulders as he rolled them back, the way he shifted slightly on the balls of his feet, and she recognized the emotion moving methodically beneath the surface of his eyes. 

Fear.

Of what, she couldn’t help but wonder. Her little solo tromp through the woods no doubt contributed to it, but she had a feeling that that wasn’t quite it. It didn’t help that Link wasn’t a man of many words, much more so in times of stress. But she hadn’t seen him like this—his lips unmoving, but willingly letting his thoughts play in his features. Link was fully capable of shielding himself, even from Zelda. The breaking point was to come sooner or later. Zelda just prayed it didn’t happen while Oaki heaved himself up Link’s pant leg and catapulted off to land squarely on Tasho, the latter of whom let out a high-pitched squall. 

Thankfully, instead of irritating his state, the Korok’s play lent Link a moment of brief respite in which he drew a breath as if to realign himself. Zelda neatly positioned herself at his side, and when he made no sign of uprooting himself, she sighed.

“I think we should go.”

This put the knight into motion; he shucked off any remaining woodland spirits, sketched a bow to the Deku Tree, and made for the line of trees once again. This time he did not bother to light a torch, and his fingers fastened themselves to Zelda’s. His grip was authoritative—I will not lose you again—but warm, as if he needed the contact just as much as she needed it. 

The forest deposited them at its entrance with no dilly-dallying, yawning a goodbye as they reached their mounts. 

Wordlessly, Link helped her onto Storm, swung himself onto Neri, and they were off to the nearest checkpoint. With as little words as possible, Link agreed on setting up camp at the castle for the night. Zelda required some texts left behind in her father’s study, and the maids’ quarters were still largely intact, so they would have beds for the night, never mind the dust.

Their journey, although not very long, was painfully quiet. Both riders were swept up in a torrent of thoughts and were equally aware of the silence that stretched between them, unable to break it, scared of what the other might say. About the strange encounter with the wolf. About Zelda’s agonizing disappearance. About the memories that had flooded them both, that were already beginning to ebb away like the sun’s light as it trekked down to the horizon. Neither mount paid heed to their charge’s ill humor, wandering the paths as they pleased in the lack of discipline.

A quick stop at the Woodland Stable didn’t provide a moment of relief as was hoped for. Link cooked a couple of batches of food to last them for the following day, still mute, and Zelda busied herself by engaging in conversation with some fellow travelers, brushing down Storm and Neri. Her responses didn’t hold the same spontaneity that inspired endless tête-à-tête like usual, but instead curled at the base of her throat like a Grassland Fox waiting out a storm. She knew Link was entirely aware of her at the present, on edge after losing her in the Woods. Understandable, of course, but it nevertheless put her equally on edge. 

“You seem weary,” a fresh traveler observed, eyeing her in a worried fashion. “Perhaps you should settle down nearby? I hear that there is a lovely brook just a couple minutes walk from this stable. This place usually bustles through the night, what with the trade routes opening around the castle again. It would be quiet there.”

Zelda had forgotten about that. It warmed her heart that people were slowly immigrating back into the castle’s vicinity, less and less wary of the Calamity’s poison. Soon enough, the renovations would be underway and Hyrule Castle would be brought back to its former glory. Nay, even greater than that.

Returning to her new acquaintance, Zelda gave a polite, “My partner and I will actually be settling elsewhere for the night, but I do appreciate the suggestion. Though it wouldn’t hurt to stop on the way to check it out.” She offered the man a smile to which he returned with equal sincerity. 

“Then, directions would do you well—”

The man had been reaching behind his back to grasp at the supposed directions when Link was suddenly in front of her, pushing her away with his back. A broadsword was already fit snugly into his right palm, leveled between him and the traveler, who was frozen in place under scrutiny of the blade.

“Link, he was only trying to be nice,” Zelda hissed, hot with embarrassment. Passerby stepped away and looked on in curiosity, some fearful, some anticipatory of what was to come. She understood that he was shaken from their long day, but it was no excuse to pull a sword on an innocent man.

An innocent man that brandished a skinny blade that just about curved in on itself, a smile of similar nature upon his face.

“Yiga,” Link breathed, again backing into Zelda. She let him this time, her fingers curling around his bicep. At his quick glance, she tightened her grip once before letting go, stowing herself behind Storm. He snorted and tossed his head, raising one foreleg before letting it back down to the earth with some thunder, as if reassuring Link that he had the girl covered.

The fight was underwhelming. After two disappearing acts, Link figured out the Yiga footmen’s pattern and waited in the place where he appeared a second later, driving the tip of his sword through the traitor’s stomach. It was more of a brutal strike than Zelda was used to seeing; the knight planted a foot on the Yiga’s back to regain his sword with a dull, wet sound. The ninja allowed his life to expire by hopping back and weaving one last sign before disappearing into a cloud of bananas and rupees. 

Link collected his loot and quickly cleaned up their things, waving off the onlookers that tried to approach. He beckoned Zelda to do the same, and she untethered the horses as he came forward with their bags. Just as he took one of her hands in his own, the other on her waist to help her onto Storm once again, Zelda resisted. They stood like that for a long moment and she studied the ground between them, his breath upsetting the calm length of her hair. 

“I don’t know how much more of this I can stand,” she whispered, unable to keep her voice from breaking. “I really don’t, Link.”

He shifted from one foot to the other, and she heard his lips part as if he was going to say something, but sucked in a deep breath instead. This infuriated her more than anything else, and she tore herself from his grip, bouncing off of Storm’s side in her fervent need to get away from Link. He gazed down at her, arms still open, surprise dominating his features. 

She fought hard to domineer her own emotions, hissing through her teeth with the effort. “You told me not to become wrapped in the past, did you not? I thought we agreed on talking to each other from now on. This silence—it’s somehow worse than it was back then. I can see what’s going on in your mind, at least I think I do, but I can’t stand you biting your tongue and looking the other way with me right now!”

Her voice rose with every word, and by the end of it she was practically yelling. Her breath came in short, angry bursts, and though she knew she probably looked like a child in the middle of a temper tantrum, she could care less. Because this _hurt._

Storm shifted just then, jostling Zelda and breaking her out of her death glare. Link used the momentum to grab her face and bring her inches from his own. 

“We will talk. Both of us have been processing—”

“Oh, don’t give me that shit—”

“Zelda.”

The simple utterance of her name in his breathless whisper was enough to check her.

“We will talk, but not here. There are too many people, and I want us to be alone. I’ve been waiting until we get to the castle. My silence is hard for me to keep, and harder when I see how it’s affecting you, okay? But we can’t do this here.”

The place behind Zelda’s eyes began to tighten hotly, but she fought her tears back and managed to nod once between his fingers. Link mimicked the movement, helped her onto the patiently waiting Storm, and mounted his own steed before taking the lead. Bystanders gave the couple suggestive whistles and yelled after them, but the pair ignored them and broke away at a canter, pointing their steeds south bound. They passed through the beautiful forest park just as the sun conducted a spectacular finale to the day: the sparse line of clouds were aflame with the brightest of oranges and crimson, then fading away into a fluffy purple and pink skyline. The princess and knight were trotting through the remnants of Castletown just as the sun was halfway dipped over the horizon. 

Zelda had allowed herself to be taken with the sights during the ride, but now her mind and heart became heavy with the conversation they were about to have. It seemed Link felt the same, for the smile he attempted for her was tight and instead emphasized his anxiety. 

The horses were content to graze in a small patch of earth that had long ruptured its stone casings in the castle courtyard, and the pair wearily let themselves inside. Link scoured the place for any lurking Bokoblins while Zelda kindled a small fire in the hearth of their chosen maids’ quarters—one with small windows scattered throughout the room and the closest to the courtyard. It was smaller than most, but the beds were bigger and Zelda liked waking up to the morning sun, while Link preferred an easy exit. 

After he was seemingly satisfied, the knight returned to the room and gently shut the door to announce his presence. Zelda’s back immediately stiffened, her hand stilling across the page of the tome she had resolved to start on. It was game time.

His footsteps neared her, slowly, as if in caution. They stopped a ways from her, and Zelda had to actually stifle a laugh.

“You may come closer. I won’t bite… probably.”

This took the tension out of Link, and he gladly closed the space between them to sit beside her at the fire. As if relishing one last moment of peace, Link’s eyes slid shut and he ran a hand through his hair. It was a nervous habit of his, she’d noticed. 

“I don’t want to hide myself from you, Princess. But it’s hard for me to get used to… the new nature of our relationship. And never mind trying to open myself to you, but in front of others as well? I can’t extrapolate enough on the fact that it has been the prying eyes and expectations of others that’s largely contributed to my silence.”

Wow. That was a lot of words. And it seemed as though it was Link’s turn to be frustrated. He turned bodily to face her, fingers tight on his knees. 

“I believe that there is an awareness you must practice as well. Don’t be afraid to lean on me in certain situations. It does not make you useless, not in anyway, shape, or form. Shuck your pride and leave it in the dust, because a big friendly wolf probably won’t be able to lead you through the forest next time.” He paused, and his voice leavened with emotion.

“I can’t lose you.”

The only thing Zelda could do for the moment was stare openly at Link as he bit off the last of that statement and looked frowningly down upon the fire. Nothing he said had been wrong. All of it hit home, but being exhausted both physically and spiritually from their day left Zelda raw and unfiltered. 

“I understand you’re getting used to this new dynamic, but don’t forget about my feelings through this too. You’re not the only one adjusting. And don’t give me that fluff about not being to express yourself because there are people around—what about when we’re alone and you stop yourself from saying something, or you do that thing where your face goes all blank and you refuse to breach a nerve I touched without even telling me what it is? I’m sick of this tip-toeing and game of cat and mouse with you. I can’t keep guessing or chipping away at you. It’s just you and me on this road right now, Link. And I can’t stand anymore isolation. I spent a century in vigil, but I will not stand for it when I have you here by my side. So be by my side.”

Link stared into the fire for a long time before he turned back to her. The smile on his face was weak, but entirely real. 

“You’ll have to keep teaching me. It seems I’m not as quick a learner as everyone thinks.”

She smiled back. “I would never give up on you, Link. And I know I can trust the same from you. As incorrigible as I am, you’ve never run away.”

With his head cocked like that in the firelight, Link almost looked brunette. “Has some of Calamity’s poison gotten in your head?” He gently reached out and tapped her temple. “You think too much, Princess. Truly.”

The tirade sapped the rest of Zelda’s energy from her, and a rush of vertigo would have sent her toppling to the unforgiving stone floor if Link hadn’t redirected her descent into his lap. His arms circled her ribs supportively, and she hit his chest with a gentle thump. The fight melted out of them, and they gave a collective sigh. Just being in his arms began the slow but sure revival of her soul, his body blocking out everything but the fire. She was warm. 

“I will try to be more vocal about my thoughts with you.”

“And I will let myself depend on you.” Zelda was cut off by her own yawn. She wanted to say more, but all she could do was tuck her face into the warm, soft skin of Link’s throat and sink against him, as if in reiteration of what she just said. Aware that his princess was beginning to doze off right then, Link gathered the girl in his arms and took her to the bed she had set for herself, noticing then that it was the only bed set. Regardless, he laid her down and was about to prepare the bed next to her when a soft palm met his. 

“Wait.”

He did so patiently, letting that mask she claimed to hate slip over his features. Blearily, she grasped for him again, curling around the hand she clutched.

“I’ve grow accustomed to you being by my side… please don’t leave. Please.”

Link held his breath as hers deepened, until he was sure she was deep asleep. But the death grip on his hand kept his escape at bay; she woke again and scooted backward to make space on the bed, urging him to fill it. No amount of coaxing would make her let go, and Link was forced to send a prayer up to the goddesses and slip into the bed beside Zelda. She hummed contentedly, her eyes holding his for a second longer before she truly let go of consciousness and slipped away. The rhythmic rise and fall of her shoulder and sound of her deep, even breaths lulled Link to sleep soon after. 

_Cherish it._

Link closed his eyes and enjoyed a sleep longer than he was used to, devoid of his night terrors.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the abrupt ending, but hey, pretty long chapter in my world. Not too sure how I felt about it, but I was so deep in that I just kept going. Anyways, hope this fluff gives you enough blubber to last you through this cold holiday.


	3. Washed Away

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Um wow, this is a long chapter for the amount of time that actually passes. I apologize for that, and I hope it's still enjoyable. An interim of sorts before we start getting into dat plot. 
> 
> Don't be afraid to comment or personally inbox me if you have any suggestions and constructive criticism for me! I really appreciate it.
> 
> Without further ado, enjoy.

A good rest in a decent bed was all Zelda needed after the past couple days. Her joints and muscles bled together harmoniously as she stretched, giving no complaint as she tested them. It seemed Link was feeling similarly; he arose with a bedhead that resembled Teba’s frill at full extension, a sure sign that he had slept soundly through the night. His mind, however, switched on at full gear the second the smell of eggs and bacon hit his nose, and his feet were taking him to the hearth before he could think twice. 

After enjoying a breakfast Zelda had proudly put together, the two were on the road once again. Zelda thrummed with excitement at the thought of seeing her good friend and guardian. Impa was always dear to her, and aided Link in his endeavors to recover Hyrule. It was in Kakariko that they would truly begin their new adventure. 

“You seem to be in good spirits,” Link observed as he handed over the Sheikah Slate. It was harder over horseback, especially when Storm liked his personal space. After successfully recovering the slate, Zelda righted herself with a grunt and fixed her knight with a smile. 

“I am happy,” she extended simply, turning her face up to feel the sun. “I’m sure I hinted at you plenty how I felt most at home on the road, researching, discovering, traveling… it beats putting up airs and flouncing myself around a castle.” A memory washed up on the surface of her mind, and turned it over carefully on her tongue before offering it to her knight. 

“Do you remember my fascination with the Silent Princess?” 

She hadn’t missed the way he tightened up at the beginning of her question. Since they were first reunited, Zelda learned to leave Link to probe about most memories. Because of this, she did not know the true extent of his amnesia, but she did know that he remembered the crucial moments in their relationship and even some seemingly insignificant ones as well. The subject always seemed to hover right underneath the surface of many of their conversations, but for now, she would let the bulk of it be. 

Link relaxed in her periphery. “Of course I remember.”

Her fingers moved blindly on the map of the slate, so consumed with pleasure that she couldn’t focus on their path. 

“Of course you remember,” she tasted his words for herself, quietly. If he heard, he respectfully made no indication.

Lost in La La Land, Zelda failed to realize their approach of the Wetland Stable until they bumped into a familiar face.

“Oi,” Link called to the form that staggered under a pack the size of a small Bokoblin. It was as if the voice of a regular rejuvenated the man; Beedle twirled around as they came upon him, beady eyes trained on Link.

“We must have been lovers in a past life!” Beedle exclaimed, happily unaware of Zelda even as she dismounted to stand before him. It wasn’t until she laughed at Link’s displeasure that Beedle whipped around and noticed her. 

“Oh, Miss Zelda!”

“Your Highness,” Link corrected, not unkindly. 

“Yes yes, Your Excellency, even! You look exquisite in that Hylian garb. And I see you have obtained a quiver of your own!” He had already pulled down his display stand so that it hovered in front of his ribs. “I just so happen to have some arrows in stock, if you would be so inclined. I also have an assortment of bugs—”

“That’s okay, Beedle,” Link interrupted, “But I will go ahead and deplete your stock of arrows, if you wouldn’t mind it. Name your price.”

As the transaction took place, Zelda took their mounts to the stable girl for some treats and a good brush down before returning to find Link with several bundles of arrows. Beedle hummed happily, stowing the rupees in some pocket of his enormous pack, and he beamed as she approached. 

“And just so you know, My Lady, it was all in jest about the whole lovers thing. No need to worry on that front.”

“That’s quite all right, Beedle,” she managed, somewhere between a laugh and an embarrassed gasp. Link carried on as if the man was no longer with them, carefully stowing some arrows in the quiver at her spine. The contact made her even more self-conscious, and with a stiff goodbye to Beedle, she went to her horse as soon as Link was satisfied. Picking up on her restlessness, Storm tossed his head and gave a high-pitched whinny, as if scorning her for her overabundance of emotion. It helped her check herself with a deep breath, and as if she had flicked a switch, the stallion calmed and gazed at her expectantly, ears forward. She realized just then that she had never mounted the horse by herself; Link was always there in the blink of an eye to raise her, being that Storm was of considerable height and she was not. 

With a furtive glance over her shoulder that told her Link was just wrapping up a transaction of precious stones with Beedle, Zelda steeled herself and gazed beseechingly into her mount’s eyes. 

“Don’t toss me like a rag, if you would.” And she hefted herself up, a foot tucked into one rung of the saddle and gripping a handful of mane like it was her lifeline. Storm sniffed the air noncommittally, and she swung her other leg over. That was it. 

Massively proud of herself, Zelda took her reins and made Storm prance around in a tight circle, laughing triumphantly all the while. Being a princess, Zelda was not allowed to do many things for herself, and Link was studious in maintaining a specific number of things to that truth. Cumbersome as it was, he did it out of duty and she knew it was something he felt strongly about. So, when she urged Storm into his line of sight, it didn’t surprise her when Link’s face pinched and he snatched the rupees out of Beedle’s hands. 

“Eager as always, I see,” the merchant giggled, unable to read the air. He gave a final wave and shout of goodbye to the princess, to which she returned with almost as much enthusiasm. 

Facing her knight again, Zelda was reminiscent of the past. She was always off running to do things on her own, to grasp at the few freedoms she had. Link was good at staying one step ahead of her; even if she ‘escaped’, he popped up just moments into her scheme. If he deemed it innocent enough, he would sometimes even lend his help in the matter. But, for some reason, it seemed he was mildly upset with the endeavor of her bestriding her own horse. As if backing up his disapproval, clouds closed up the sky above them, a thunder murmured darkly in the distant.

“If I am being taught the sword and bow, I believe it is about time I begin to mount horses by myself.”

Link scratched his chin and gazed at her as if he hadn’t thought of that before. He apparently relented the subject, for he untethered Neri, tipped the stable girl, and hefted himself atop her.

“It won’t take but a couple of hours to get to Kakariko,” he gestured for Zelda to look at the slate, to which she opened the map and followed the trail with her finger. “It’s still a bit early, so I was thinking we could stop by a place nearby. I have someone I need to talk to.”

At her nod of consent, Link reeled Neri around and bounced his heels at her side, and they were off. One small victory at the price of Link’s good humor, but a victory all the same. 

The heavens opened a sudden shower upon them just then.

They took off on the trail leading to Kakariko and rounded a larger rock outcropping, where Zelda was surprised to see a small pub that hid itself away until they were just upon it. It was just a breath away from the Wetlands Stable, but even as the rain began to come down harder, travelers cast wary glances at the bar and ran straight on past to the stables. Wary of the place herself, Zelda would have rode right on along the trail and away if she hadn’t glanced over to see Link leading Neri right up to a post, dismount, and tie her there. He turned just as Zelda came up behind him, Storm snorting and dancing in place.

“You can’t be serious.” 

Through the window, she spied burly men hunched around tiny tables, some playing cards, some exchanging quiet words, their meaty fingers curled around blades at their hips or openly laying on the table. None of them looked to be so friendly, especially to young people of their looks and stature. When Zelda said as much, Link simply scoffed, tied Storm up with a steadying pat to his hide, and trundled right on inside. Apparently still vulnerable about her wanting to mount and dismount by herself, Link didn’t pause to wait and see if she safely made it to the ground—which she did, with a wet splash on the ground that her butt absorbed graciously.

The little episode was a faint reminder of how much their lives had really changed. Link was not the same dutiful knight that ensured her every move was predetermined by his safety, and Zelda found herself appreciating it in return for the more candid and open their relationship was. Even if it included him being stubborn and her mood taken down a notch by a damp rump. 

The air of the pub was almost hot and was putrid with the stench of tobacco and sweaty men in dire need of a bath. The men all went silent for the moment they entered, taking stock of the new comers and sizing them up. It seemed Link was of no consequence for them; their eyes passed easily over him in his Hylian hood and garb, instead lingering on the girl behind. Zelda’s long, golden hair had become misted from the rain, and her own Hylian tunic complemented her shape well enough. She was aware of more than one pair of eyes appraising her, and received a couple of seedy grins as they passed straight through to the bar. 

A man with unruly brown hair and a closely kept beard was polishing glasses behind the counter, but paused and to turn lazy brown eyes upon them as they approached. He conducted a similar observation of the two but in a more friendly, boyish way, his demeanor shifting upon sight of Link.

“Well, well, well,” he drawled, leaning his long body over the wood counter, “Look what this tom dragged in. May I have the honor of knowing this young lady’s name?”

Link glanced furtively around them, weighing his options before murmuring, “Zelda, and she’s off limits.”

“Who’s to say?” The man said, extending a hand out to Zelda and offering a smile that was nothing short of charming. “The name’s Juri. I own this happy little joint. Doesn’t bring in that much dough, but I can fry an egg, dance, and I have a cat named Junior.”

“She doesn’t need your dating profile. And she’s eighteen.”

The man let out a whistle and reevaluated. He didn’t seem very shaken. 

“Young, pretty wives are a provision these days around here. Come back around someday, but without your baggage next time, Princess.” Juri winked and Zelda found herself liking the cunning young man.

The air around them shifted when Link put his elbows on the bar, interlacing his fingers and gazing at the bartender. He fixed Link a hefty draft, and a water for the lady. Without looking up from the dish he had been working at earlier, he intoned quietly, “Now, what business do you have with me today?”

Several men grumbled and shifted behind them, but Link simply ignored them. Zelda felt less confident and edged around his side, glancing behind to catch a leery gaze more than once. Unmoved, Link looped an arm around her waist, and the effect was immediate; no more looks. Battering down a massive blush, Zelda knew it was for her protection and the huddle the three of them created, but the contact made her heart jump nonetheless. 

“I heard there’s a Lynel that’s bunkered down over the hill that leads to Kakariko.”

“Right you are, sir. A nasty one, from the looks of it. I haven’t seen him myself, rather heard ‘im. Has to get in three mighty roars a day or his manhood is compromised. Horsehood? Anyways, all I know is what these chumps come in and cry about. Not many have been able to scoot past him, and he’s just about shut down the road to Kakariko this way.”

Taking stock of this, Link pursed his lips pensively. Zelda was feeling less composed about it; she had watched the knight take on many a Lynel before, but they were thunderous enemies with a temper that could burn you alone. From the sounds of this one, it most likely was either fire-breathing or had an ability to incapacitate an enemy for a short amount of time within a range.

“What color?” Link inquired, echoing her thoughts.

Juri sighed, setting down the glass leaning on the bar top. 

“Gold.”

 _Gold?_ That was unheard of. Red-maned, blue-maned, and silver should be some of the only breeds out there. Unless the purge of the Calamity allowed a stronger Lynel to disperse through the ranks? It would have made more sense for the opposite to be true. Fact of the matter was that the rarer the color, the more dangerous the enemy. If Link shared any of her concerns, he didn’t show it. 

“Perfect opportunity, then,” he said, taking out a pouch and shaking it. Rupees jingled invitingly from inside. “I was hoping you could power up some weapons for me. I want to be out in the next hour.”

Juri whistled again, as was he was wont to. “That’ll be a steep price. You’re making me work for it and I’ve got lots guests that love beer on a rainy day like this.”

“Anyone can pour a beer, Juri. I want three upgraded: a broadsword for stronger durability, and two Guardian spears lighter for a longer throwing range.”

“Well then, let’s not dilly-dally,” the bartender conceded easily, handing over his apron to Link and procuring another for Zelda. She blinked once before taking it, shooting Link an accusatory glare as he released her to hop over the counter. Juri was already disappearing through a door in the back, the weapons stowed over his back.

“Couldn’t we have gone to a Fairy Fountain for this?” Zelda hissed, slapping a rag out of the newly appointed bartender’s hand. With barely concealed amusement, Link shrugged.

“Juri is much more cost efficient for our cause. The nearest fountain from here is in Kakariko, and I need those weapons fixed now. Especially if a Gold Lynel is waiting for us over the hill.”

There was no denying that, no matter how much Zelda wanted to get out of the dank little pub. She trusted her knight and if he trusted Juri, so did she. And, thankfully, even when Link removed himself from her, the jeering and lunges did not return. For the most part. 

It seemed the rain brought in a newcomer, a man about three times the size of herself with biceps that could pop her head like a zit from one flex, each. Long, brown hair poured from his scalp like greasy little garden snakes, and his little black eyes were hard and unyielding. He sat down at a empty table in the back corner of the pub and beckoned her with the sharp jut of his jaw. Steeling herself, Zelda pulled herself to full height and walked undisturbed through the ranks of filthy men. 

“How may I help you, sir?”

The man did not respond for a second, taking his eyes off of the draft selection on the wall to scour her. The effect was like a line of ants marching up her spine; he did not see Link’s silent warning to them all, and the latter was busy chatting away with someone at the bar to make himself clear from across the room. But Zelda wasn’t quite in the mood for being saved in that moment, and something took over before she could think twice about it.

“If you need something, them come up to the bar and get it yourself.” 

With a twirl that fanned out her thick, flaxen hair, Zelda fast-walked back to the bar, aware of the huge man on her heels. She side-stepped as he slammed two hands the size of dinner plates on the bar top. Link laughed at something his companion said before turning his attention on the behemoth, emotion wiped clean from his brow. 

“Are _you_ the owner of this shit joint?” The man growled, grinding out the ragged edges of a Tabantha accent. Link nodded mutely, picking up a beer mug and to work at a smudge on the lip. 

Smugly, the man leaned over the counter and touched a meaty finger to one of the braids in Link’s hair. Zelda had playfully weaved them when he dozed off earlier the day before, but he hadn’t bothered to undo them. 

“I heard a man named Juri ran this place, and I don’t remember anyone saying an’thing about two chicks taking over.” 

Link put down the beer glass and said nothing. 

Zelda had been gritting her teeth, waiting for an eruption of some sort, but it seemed the only blood curdling at that point was hers. More than herself, she hated people picking on Link, especially his features. She knew it didn’t bother him one bit, but it touched something deeply ingrained within Zelda and lit a fire in her chest. She stepped forward and slapped the man’s hand away, surprising them all and drawing a muffled laugh from the traveler at the bar. 

“Don’t touch him.” Her body trembled, but not from fear. A familiar heat striped down her right arm to her hand and gathered there dangerously, and she just kept it at bay when Link shot her a look of warning. Sending the man through the wall in a blinding flash of light would cause quite the uproar, and she was too fond of Juri to cause the trouble.

At a new level of enraged, the man took a threatening step in her direction. Zelda felt as if she were in a bull ring, waving the red flag as she glared back up at him.

“If you really are the owner, then teach this little whore your silence.”

It was amazing how big men could move so fast. The pub patrons split neatly to either side of the building as the Tabantha man’s body crashed straight through the biggest table in the center of the room. Link followed in that calm wake of his, the silence before a terrible storm. Spitting in fury, the offended man scrambled to get up, but Link put a boot to the back of his neck and ceased all of his movement. The right amount of pressure would break the man’s neck; everyone in the pub held their breath. 

“That’s enough,” Zelda almost whispered, watching Link’s head turn just barely in her direction. His eyes still burned down at the man under his foot, as still as a statue. She hadn’t tried this since the Calamity was struck down, but she had a feeling that not much else would break through that fog that clouded Link’s mind when he was beyond anger. 

The power the swelled in her right palm roused with some effort, and she willed it toward Link. Her consciousness brushed against his, and this time he turned just enough to catch her eyes. She relished the intimacy such an action brought; before, Link might have immediately resurrected a wall and pushed her away, and each time discouraged her until she gave up on such communication just before the Calamity. This was a new development, and she let herself marvel for the barest of moments.

_Come here._

Another long second passed. Someone coughed weakly, another sniffed and wiped at growing whiskers, the sound grating in the silence. And finally, Link stepped off the man to stalk to her, stopping a breadth away. The man slowly got to his feet behind them, and Link pulled away to face him. 

“What is your name?”

“Leave,” Link responded quietly, giving no room for argument. The patrons grumbled and shifted back to their original positions, but they held a certain hostility that backed up Link’s warning. It didn’t take a second for the man to get the message, and he stumbled out of the pub into the rain. 

The life returned immediately at an eruption of laughter, and the man Link had been cozy with at the bar gave him a great thump on the back. Just then, Juri reappeared out of the back door, giving a sigh when he saw the wreckage. 

“Knew I should’ve taken the little lady in the back with me,” he gave another great sigh, exchanging aprons for weapons with Link. 

“I would be happy to recompense,” Zelda started. Link cut her off with a quiet, 

“It’s fine.”

“But it isn’t!” She exclaimed, pointing to the oak table, now in pieces. “That table is as good as firewood now.”

Juri was giving her a look that made her realize that she had responded out loud to a thought Link let her privy to. She pulled away and instantly regretted it, feeling bereft as Juri said,

“No worries, cutie. I’ll just put it on Link’s tab.” He winked at her, and she couldn’t help but smile back. “Everything’s set to go. I gave the spears a little extra kick in case you were thinking of using them against the Lynel. Nothing extra; besides, if you get rid of him, business will be booming once again.”

“You’re after the Lynel too?” The man at the counter piped up. Upon closer inspection, he couldn’t have been much older than Link, and his features were of the neutral sort; someone she would have looked over if he didn’t seem friendly with Link. 

His interest in the monster made Link frown. “You’ve heard that it is golden, yes?”

“Aye. I was imagining taking his horns and mantling them in my house.” He said this with a smile around the lip of his glass. Link was less amused. 

“How many Lynels have you fought, Obard?”

So his name was Obard. A strange name. The three men apparently went a bit back; they all settled around each other with an air of comfortability. 

“This one runs at the sight of Keese,” Juri threw in, pouring three beers. He handed Link and Zelda one, and kept the last for himself. Link hid his mirth behind a hearty pull of the draft.

“How would you know? You sit in here all day and run your trap off. Come outside with us and I’ll show you how to take care of a pesky Lynel.”

Zelda shared a look with Link; Obard knew how to talk big, but even Lynels gave Link a little pushback. If this one was of a new variety, she hoped even less for their friend. Link finished off his drink and took hers before she had a chance to pretend that she liked beer.

“I haven’t fought a Gold Lynel before, so I can’t tell you much on that front, but Silver-maned Lynels can give me a bit of a hard time. How would you feel against this one up the road?” 

Obard gazed into the bottom of his mug, reconsidering. As if the sword on his back became too heavy, he hunched over the counter and scratched at the back of his neck consciously. 

“Could I come along? I can at least watch over your lady here. I know how to swing a sword.”

“As do I,” Zelda said, her arms folded over her chest. Juri gave a lazy smile of approval, and Link didn’t bother to hide a simper of his own. “And my name is Zelda, nice to meet you.”

“Obard. Double the manpower, then,” he amended, giving her a respectful nod. 

Despite being engaged in the conversation, Zelda noticed that Link was beginning to get antsy. He shifted from foot to foot, then tossed a pouch toward Juri. It landed in his empty pint glass, and he raised it in salute to Link.

“Then let’s get a move on. The rain’s moved on, and we’re wasting daylight.”

Obard downed the rest of his beer quickly, and they left the bar after a brief goodbye to Juri. Once outside, Zelda veered Storm around, opening her mouth to talk strategy when Link and Obard spurred their steeds into action. She caught up when they deviated from the trodden road and up a small, grassy hill. A massive skeleton glared a warning at them, and the thing sent a quake down Zelda’s spine. The trio quickly hid themselves away behind a small rock outcropping when their quarry came from over the top of the hill, and as sure as can be, he glimmered golden in the afternoon sun. 

“What’s the plan?” Zelda breathed, pushing Storm behind a yearling tree. He liked the cover of vegetation during battle, weak thing he was. 

“Stay here.”

Link already had unsheathed the strengthened broadsword and was about to duck from their cover when Zelda lunged, catching hold of his unoccupied arm. He swiveled to gaze at her in question. At first, she had no answer; against an enemy that was formidable, despite knowing that Link could beat it to a pulp regardless, made her throat clench and her stomach pull. Obard, either out of respect or awkwardness, turned his back on them and began to polish a broadsword of his own. Link waited, and his devoted patience allowed her to shake the gunk from her mind. 

“I’ll hold onto the Shekiah Slate and use Stasis on him. That’ll give you a good amount of opportunity to put some damage on him.” _And less on you,_ she said silently. 

Link gave her the barest of nods and shifted his arm in her grip, lacing his fingers with hers for a moment. In the next he was gone, a fading warmth in her palm, stalking through the tall grass toward the Lynel. He was preening himself in the center of a harem of horses, watching each mare closely in turn. 

_Goddesses, he’s designated himself stud of this herd of females._

The thought, which Zelda had intended to be her own, gave Link pause in his progress up the hill. Evidently she had reached out not only physically before he left to combat, and she felt his internal confirmation of what she sent him. This form of communication intrigued her, especially going into battle. This could be quite beneficial, and she communicated as much to Link and felt another wave of approval from him. 

_Would you use Stasis when I tell you to?_

Zelda huffed quietly, conscious of Obard creeping around the side of the rock to keep an eye on the Lynel as it let loose a massive roar. Apparently the mares were used to it; they didn’t flick an ear. 

_Please, Zelda. Not to be a control freak, but so that you can begin to get the patterning down for yourself._

His appeasing worked. At her inward nod, Link resumed his creep up the hill, his mind a strange but comforting presence next to hers. She held the Sheikah Slate with white knuckles as the Lynel started in Link’s direction suddenly, his harem breaking apart at a silent cue. Obard tensed and barred his arm in front of her out of instinct, and they both went still. 

Link, sensing he was found out, simply stood and waved his sword in greeting to the Lynel. It roared again, more fury behind it this time, and unsheathed his own broad, flat blade. It was a pure mystery where these guys got their weaponry from, and when they learned to wield them. 

_Careful. He’ll be extra egressive if he’s protecting those mares._

Something brushed against her mind, and Zelda belatedly realized it was mischief and watched stupidly as Link caught a mare that tried breaking past him, swinging up onto her bareback. 

Up until that moment, Zelda had never seen anyone, man or monster, so consumed by wrath. The Lynel stampeded down the hill, and combined with another maniacal bellow, the effect was a mini earthquake that made Obard’s steed, a gentle, palomino paint, dance nervously and whicker. Thankfully, the Lynel was distracted enough bearing down on Link, who gave battle whoop and slapped his mare’s bottom to engage the monster head on. They approached each other at full gallop, and were seconds from a collision. 

_Now!_

Zelda snapped out of her trance and, for a nerve wracking moment, aimed at the Lynel to discharge Stasis. It froze mid-stride, and it felt like Link gave her an internal high five for it. He hopped off his mare just as she came up on the Lynel’s side, landing perfectly on the beast’s back just as Stasis wore off. It took him a second to realize his foe popped out of existence and one more to feel a sword glance off his neck. Link was in for the rodeo of his life, desperately slashing at the monster and holding on for dear life for what seemed to be to no avail. His sword came back clean each time, a testament to its thick hide. 

One more powerful buck sent Link high enough into the air to pull out his paraglider, which he used to his advantage. He sent flying a bomb arrow straight into the Lynel’s face as it looked up at him and zipped away into the air again, using the updraft the explosion created. This served only to stun the Lynel and singe a few hairs around its face, so Link changed his tactic. 

The air buzzed with energy as he pulled out one of the Guardian Spears from his pack, catching another wayward mare in the process. Blinded by rage, the Lynel emitted a nasty growl and followed.

“This is incredible,” Obard finally managed, and Zelda realized they had been watching in stunned silence, save for her telepathic communication with Link. She smiled, proud of her knight. 

“Have you ever seen him fight before?”

“Only once, when he saved me from a silver Bokoblin. Thing was way nastier and hardier than any Bokoblin I’d come across before.” He paused in his storytelling as Link practically jousted with the Lynel, sidestepping with his temporary mount and thrusting his spear deep into its haunch. It gave a gut-wrenching shriek and dropped to one knee as the ancient weapon burned through its flesh, adding a heady, sick flavor to the wind. Link looped around, waving his spare spear in the air.

_Freeze, baby._

And the Lynel was a living statue for the few seconds it took Link to vault himself off the horse and throw the spear with a deadly accuracy, straight down on the Lynel’s spine. Crippled, the beast screamed and writhed in a seeping pool of its own blood. 

“But I’ve never seen him like this—and you! You guys are so in sync, it’s simply _incredible_. And against a new breed of Lynel, at that.”

As the beast’s life expired before their eyes, Link made a move to hurry the process. He switched out his spear for a mace that was all too familiar, stirring the pot of her memory. Daruk’s lively smile flashed before her, Boulder Breaker slung over his shoulder. He had hefted that thing everywhere. It didn’t come as a shock that Link inherited it after all he had done for the Gorons and Vah Rudania, but the sight of it brought forth memories that made her heart bloat with the load of emotion accompanying them.

Link, still connected with her, halted with the club over his head. He cut her off too late; the distraction and weight of Boulder Breaker made him stumble, and in a final death throe, the Lynel flopped to swing out a giant paw. Unable to recover himself in time, Link braced for impact and caught three claws to the ribs. The blow pushed him back a good twenty meters in which he tried to stay upright, dropping Daruk’s club and rolling the last few feet. The Lynel, seemingly pleased that he got one good punch in, released one last groan and succumbed in a puff of ash.

Zelda sprinted to Link’s prone form, knocking Obard out of her way in the process. Neri grunted and followed suit, pushing back the two mares that Link had borrowed for his fight when they came forward to inspect him. 

She should’ve garnered her emotions by now. Stupid, stupid, _stupid_. Everything had gone so smoothly up until that moment, and now, because of her, Link was hurt. Another stark reminder of the past that nettled her heart relentlessly. 

Refusing to allow her feelings to control her again, Zelda reached her knight just as he struggled to a sitting position, face only just contorted in pain. His mind had become a fortified wall, but his eyes were soft when she focused on harnessing her power in her right palm. It responded immediately, a soft glow that she placed over the tears in his side. 

“This is my fault,” she whispered, shaking her head when Link jerked forward to retort. “I let the past consume me again. Every time I think of them—it grips me, Link. Every time. Like everything happened just yesterday. I can’t escape when it happens, and now I’ve dragged you into it.”

Obard jogged up on them before Link could say anything in response, leading Storm and his horse, Beza. She whinnied nervously at the scent of blood, her eyes beginning to roll. And blood there was: it ran freely from the three long slits in Link’s skin, slowing as Zelda focused her power into them. Each stitched together neatly, the skin as good as new, but it was taking a good minute for each abrasion.

“What’s up with having a club if you’re going to fall over and get a good scratch afterwards? You’re lady won’t be here each time to save you from a hiccup like that.”

Zelda lowered her head and bit hard at her lip to stave off the dampness that barraged the back of her eyes at that, mortified. Her hair curtained and saved her from Obard, but not Link, who turned a nasty glare upon his friend. It was effective.

“One of the mares came up behind me when I was about to finish the job. It put me off,” he lied smoothly, though heat still crept into his voice. It continued to amaze Zelda how bad he’d become at hiding himself from others in moments like these. The thought helped her hate herself a little less, and she was thankful that he preserved her in that moment. But a certain decrepitness that manifested itself in the long century she spent stowed away crawled evilly over her scalp, and kept her eyes remorsefully on the wounds she worked to heal. No matter how much he forgave her, the fault remained her own. 

Obard, finally picking up on her silence, strove to fill it and lighten the mood. Most people would have inquired after her mysterious power, even if she was careful to cover the mark over the back of her hand, but it seemed the adrenaline hadn’t worn off; his mouth moved a mile a minute.

Tired and projecting worriment over his companion, Link stretched to test his body. Nothing bled or ached too badly, so he fetched Neri and, without her permission, grasped Zelda by the waist to hoist her up on Storm. He paused just before doing so, bodily blocking her from Obard.

He was already on Beza. “I’ll be off, then. I’m in the opposite direction. Thanks for the show.” He rounded them, trying to address Zelda directly, but Link pulled her to his chest.

“Okay,” Obard laughed, embarrassed by what he probably assumed was a show of affection. “I get it. See you, Link. It was nice to meet you, Zelda.” And he was racing down the hill, fading hoofbeats. 

Back to the situation at hand, Zelda felt her knight shift his attention, withdrawing to give her some space. Not in the mood for his gentlemanly habits, Zelda followed him in his back step, letting her forehead come to a rest on his collarbone. She waited for him to move away again, just as he would in the past, but the Link of now smoothed one hand over her hair, the other cupped warmly over her shoulder. Even if she had messed up—and they both knew it, whether Link wanted to assuage her or not—he was the one whispering comfort and reassurance.

“I cannot let Impa see me like this,” she managed around pathetic tears, hating herself even more for them. Link simply ran his hand down the length of her arm, and up again. She felt him look over her head as if pondering something, and she let herself get a little lost in the hum of his voice against her ear.

“I’m okay with setting up camp around here if you need the night.”

How could he be so patient with her?

With a ungraceful sniffle, Zelda pulled herself away so that she could gage his true thoughts. He still wasn’t allowing her to be privy to them, and she had stopped prying. 

Something in his gaze made her heart stutter in no small way. Without extending his mind to hers, she felt that he was trying to communicate something. She gave up trying to puzzle it out, afraid of the flush crawling up her neck, and saved herself from an impending confrontation. 

“Do you have an energizing elixir?”

Link blinked once, then removed himself to search his pack. She felt suddenly cold.

“Here.” The bottle sloshed as he handed it over, and she downed it in one go. Link arched a brow. “Between the adrenaline and that, you’re going to crash later, and I’m guessing you don’t plan on spending the night here if you needed that.”

“No,” she agreed, wiping at her mouth and grimacing at the acrid taste. “I appreciate you slowing down to meet my pace since we began our journey, but I think it’s about time to… how should I say? ‘Suck it up’ is the only way I can think to put it. You really are too easy on me, Link.”

She couldn’t keep the fondness from her voice at the tail end of that statement. He said nothing, closing his eyes for a brief moment. And then he was swinging himself up Neri, waiting for her to do the same.

“I suggest we move on while that elixir is at its strongest.”

Storm stood stock-still as she clambered up his side, her limbs tingling and her heart pulsing a little too quick. But it helped subside the tears and pesky feelings that had heightened when Link embraced her, and her head was finally decluttering. 

“Let’s be off, then.”

Impa was surely waiting.


	4. Trouble in Paradise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, guys! Last interim for you, and then we get juicy with our plot. I pinky promise through your screen. Also, thank you to those who commented with some suggestions! I tried to take them with me as I wrote this chapter, but feel free to give me more constructive criticism. Please know that I only edited half of this and got hasty and just decided to post it. I'll come back for revisions when I'm feeling a little more alive.
> 
> Hope you enjoy this chapter.

For the sake of filling the silence and to distract herself from the rush the elixir had given her, Zelda was in the process of weighing whether or not she wanted to bother her knight further when he came out with,

“What are you planning to do after we see Impa?”

The first arch to Kakariko passed over their heads, and although she couldn’t hear them, Zelda knew that the Sheikah were bustling quietly from inside. 

“I hadn’t thought quite that far, to be honest.”

He grunted. Even in the short amount of time that they had been reunited, Zelda was coming to recognize that frown upon his face as one of contemplation.

“Rupee for your thoughts?” It seemed important for her to know at that moment, being that her own mind and heart was tender from the battle. 

“I’ve been thinking of taking you to the Akkala region.” At her slow nod, Link continued, “It’s a good ways from here, but first, like you’ve been saying, it would be wise to go and meet up with Purah to analyze the Slate. It still functions perfectly well, as do all of the shrines.”

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?” Zelda retorted, indignant. “That would have saved us a lot of time.” And a horrible injury.

“The Slate can only teleport one person at a time. Juri actually tried to travel with me once, and he ended up with a broken arm and a fractured skull. There’s something about pressure control with the device, and a second person threw it out of balance.”

That sobered Zelda. “Right, then. Go on.”

His smile was almost secretive then, and it felt like warm fingers wrapped around her heart. 

“I have a feeling that Purah will be able to figure something out. She’s been working on configuring the Slate for two person travel anyway, but I haven’t been able to leave it with her since before the Calamity.”

All good news. This would be incredible for diplomatic relations with the other races as well as for gathering resources. The thought of being able to traverse the four corners of Hyrule in a single day invigorated her. And that Link was thinking ahead, even before they brought down Ganon, to get the Slate working for two-person travel invigorated her. 

“That sounds incredible,” she affirmed, slowing Storm and watching Link do the same with Neri. She didn’t want to stop talking. “But what of Akkala? Did you have business with Robbie? I think it would be safe to stop in with him, too.”

Link nodded. “Yes, but I wanted to show you something else. A town that was built not long ago.”

“A _town_ was built?”

Link nodded again and explained how it started with him stopping a house from being demolished in Hateno Village, and that a man named Hudson extended the construction business to build a town from scratch in Akkala. The fact that members from all races uprooted themselves and started a new life together in this little town made hope bloom in Zelda’s chest.

“The house in Hateno that I saved is mine. I use it for storage. But, in exchange for the help in building Tarrey Town, Hudson built me a cottage.” Link paused, as if he were reluctant to finish his thought. At her encouraging smile, he relented. “I think you should rest there, Princess. Yes, I believe the best thing we can do right now is speak with Impa and plan out our next course of action, but you are waning. We have been on the go since we sealed away Ganon… and I don’t think you can make it much longer.”

Zelda’s face burned with embarrassment and fury. The fact that her own knight doubted her durability—after fighting off the Calamity for a full century! People get tired, yes, but she was still kicking, and vigorously at that. That Link would suggest that she take a vacation when time was of the essence completely outraged her. She spurred Storm just as the last arch to Kakariko opened before them, leaving Link to sulk after her. 

How _dare_ he.

It was true that she was tired, but the same could be said for Link. Anyone traveling and encountering monsters and, in her case, relearning how to live life would be tired. But not enough that she would keel over and succumb to it on the road. No, she was too hardy for that, and if a century of fighting off a demon didn’t stop her, then this wouldn’t either. 

Zelda didn’t have enough time to stay angry. Storm pranced straight into town, and Zelda was struck by how much had stayed the same. Familiar faces, though wrinkled with age, brightened as she followed the path to Impa’s home. Some even approached her and Link, grasping at their legs, their eyes shining with tears. One elderly woman clutched long enough that Zelda could not dismount. Link hopped nimbly off Neri and moved as if to coax the old Sheikah away, but Zelda halted him with a minute gesture.

“You are Princess Zelda? It is truly you?”

Something in her person was so painfully familiar that Zelda knew they had been acquainted in the past, but she couldn’t pinpoint it. The elder finally stepped back, and Zelda climbed down Storm to properly greet her.

Once on her feet, Zelda folded her hands and gave a deep bow to both the woman and the few that had gathered nearby. 

“Do not bow, Princess!” The Sheikah woman cried, gently cupping Zelda’s face. Their closeness allowed her to get a good look at the little stooped woman, and the scent of cherry blossoms that wafted over her brought with it images of the past.

“Hashi,” Zelda whispered, covering the gnarled hands with her own. Hashi, pleased, smiled and turned to gaze upon Link.

“You have done well, Hero. It seems we have our land and our precious princess back. Maybe not in one piece, but back all the same.” Her eyes met the jagged rips in the side of Link’s Hylian tunic and the dark stains of blood beneath. Rather than alarming her, it seemed that Hashi was amused that his skin was perfectly unmarred.

Hashi, like Impa, served as a tether for Zelda in her times of trial in the past. She was a voice of reason, and being that they were of similar age before the Calamity, she served as a confidant and one of Zelda’s closest friends. Despite the age of her vessel, Hashi’s honey-brown eyes were as lively as the day Zelda left her. As Link came forward to greet the now elderly woman, Zelda turned on her heel and introduced herself to the two guards at the foot of Impa’s home. After grabbing their names, she took the stairs two at a time, her whole body pulsing in anticipation. 

“Still running this one down to her last shred of patience, I see,” Hashi laughed at Link from below. He gave no response, and she knew he was already behind her, off to the left. With a glance at the heavens to implore Hylia, Zelda palmed the door open only to smack it right into the face of a youthful Sheikah woman. 

“Oh, Hylia! Are you alright?” Zelda leaned in to inspect the girl for any injury, but she kept her hands strictly to her face, eyes barely visible between her fingers. Just perceptibly, Zelda could see them widen upon her. 

“I am quite fine, Your Highness! Please excuse me for getting in your way!”

“No, not at all, it was definitely my fault. May I, uh, ask your name?”

Link shifted to stand by Zelda’s side, and every inch of exposed skin bloomed red on the woman. 

“M-Master Link! You’re here too! Of course you’re here, with the Princess, no duh…”

Apparently amused, Link leaned over to murmur, “This is Paya, Impa’s granddaughter. Don’t be fooled by the show of shyness: she’s got a mean right hook and you wouldn’t want to catch her with a sword in hand.”

“M-Master Link! I’m sure you are a much more capable fighter, Princess. Anyway, please come inside.” 

And inside they were ushered, doors swinging closed behind them. The house layout was exactly the same as it had been in the past, save for a pile of cushions in the back of the room, and the relic that sat atop them. 

“Impa,” Zelda gasped, unable to stop herself from rushing forward. The old Sheikah roused at her name, blinking once before focusing on the girl at her feet. Paya and Link stood respectfully off the the side as Zelda took her hand, holding it to her forehead.

“Welcome back, Princess.” 

Her voice was as thin as paper, and her hand felt a bit like leather, but Impa’s spirit flooded their midst and was as strong as ever. For once Zelda was struck speechless, at the mercy of her memories again. If she experienced such things after coming back with her whole mind intact, she wondered how Link fared when he was blindsided by a barrage from the past. 

“Not much has changed over one hundred years, I see,” Impa chuckled, turning her hand so that she could cup Zelda’s chin and inspect her. Zelda sat obediently before her, taking the opportunity to do a similar inspection of Impa.

“I don’t think I can agree with that,” she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. The first wave of exhaustion hit her then, making her shoulders sink and head loll for a fraction of an instant. Nothing escapes Impa or her knight, however; the fingers curled around her chin were gone, replaced by a larger set on her arms. 

“I’m fine,” Zelda retorted, trying to shrug Link off. His hands fell down to her waist stubbornly, as if she needed to be held upright. Paya, clearly at a loss about what to do, stood with her arms outstretched. The rush only lasted a few seconds, and once it left, Zelda placed her hands over Link’s.

“Really, it’s okay.” At her plead, he pulled away and sat on his haunches just behind her, ready for another tired spell. Impa watched this exchange with interested eyes that Link refused to meet.

“It seems I worried for nothing over the two of you being reunited.” She turned to Paya and nodded once. “Prepare a bed upstairs for the Princess, would you?”

“Yes, Grandmother.”

Relieved at being tasked, Paya raced up the stairs before Zelda could even open her mouth to refute the notion. The girl was fast. Impa bunkered down at Paya’s absence, the heavy chains dangling from her hat. 

“The Calamity is defeated, then. You two have done well, but you have more trials ahead of you. I assume that you are taking a claim to the throne, Princess?”

Straight to the point as always. Zelda sat up straighter. “Of course.”

They spent some time catching up, which was mostly a quick recount of her level of awareness while sealing Ganon in the castle and Impa filling in some spaces in Link’s journeys. Despite Impa’s appearance and the toll age took on her physically, it was as if they were transported to the past, switching from the situation at hand to bunny trails that made them all laugh, as they were wont to before.

Impa gave a small huff of approval and a smile that boasted only a few remaining teeth. “As determined as ever, I see. There will be much coordinating to do with the other leaders of the races, I hope you know.” At Zelda’s enthusiastic nod, Impa turned to Link with a solemn air about her. 

“As the Hero, your role has been completed. King Rhoam is long deceased, and although his rule would naturally fall to our Princess here, she is not officially a working monarch right now. That would mean that you are not currently an acting knight, nor the Princess’ own appointed knight.”

It felt like Zelda had been launched into space right then, the air around them freezing. She couldn’t breathe. How couldn’t she have thought about that simple fact before? The burden she was still lying on his shoulder by assuming he would continue to linger by her side, especially with that patchwork memory? She technically wasn’t even a princess at that moment, just as Impa said. The fall of the Calamity and their travels really must have taken a toll on her mind if she couldn’t even think that much through.

As if he was an extension of her own body, Zelda felt Link seize up, and he took a precious moment in which she wondered if he would say anything at all. If he would realize the fact that he had no obligations just as she had, get up, and walk out the door to his home in Hateno. If he would leave her, and she would be alone.

The thought made her shake uncontrollably.

“Princess?” 

She couldn’t tell who called her, or why her body suddenly felt so cold, why the buzz in her brain became so overwhelming that she wondered if a colony of bees snuck their way in there somehow. The second wave of exhaustion decided to hit her just then, she realized, and she fell into a tormented sleep that could not tell her whether or not her knight would be there when she awoke. 

The dreaming world had no mercy on her either. 

They were back in the Lost Woods, but the ghostly tune of the Skull Children’s wood flutes were more ominous, and the shapes behind the fog that didn’t dare venture so close before now breathed on the back of her neck and growled from around her feet. Zelda couldn’t turn her head to look or open her mouth to scream, to implore Link to slow down. The air was too heavy and carried a dampness that clung to her exposed skin, and a shaky breath in made her feel like she was beginning to drown. The trees, once abandoned husks, moaned and grasped at her as she passed, opening trenches in her arms and legs that flowed hot and free. Blood. 

The shadows, irritated now, howled and lunged from her periphery, just barely missing her. In one last desperate attempt, Zelda reached out for Link and opened her mouth in a silent scream. But this time he paused to glance over his shoulder, and the sight of him made her go cold. 

_Save yourself._

She voice found her then, thrashing and fighting against the things that pinned her limbs down. But her enemies were now bedsheets and the sweet Sheikah girl Paya. 

“Please, Princess! It was just a nightmare!”

The world opened up before her just then. A concerned Paya hovered over her, arms braced for another onslaught of flailing limbs. Zelda sat up with a healthy amount of sheepishness, staving off offers of energizing elixirs and some electric shock therapy involving an imprisoned Electric Keese, opting for a hot cup of tea. While Paya raced off to retrieve the drink, Zelda fixed her bed and got to work on the knots in her hair, using the bottle of lavender oil left behind for her. The mindless routine helped to soothe her to where she barely noticed when Paya returned with a steaming mug of ginger tea.

True to her heritage, the girl seemingly materialized at her side, giving Zelda a little scare as she set down the mug on the vanity. After apologizing blushingly, Paya squirmed in a discomfited way. 

“Would you like me to fetch Master Link after you find yourself settled, Your Highness?”

The title burned bitterly in the pit of Zelda’s stomach. “No need to call me by anything more extravagant than my name, Paya; after all, I have no claim to any throne.”

“You are the Princess to us.” Paya said this with more authority than Zelda would have expected from her, and she was grateful that Impa was so faithful to pass down that steadfast Sheikah loyalty. Even if she thought it wasn’t due.

“I appreciate it, Paya. And I would rather not have Link brought here.”

Paya bowed, staying true to her sentiments no matter how it irked Zelda. “Understood… M-may I retrieve you for a meal soon? Resting on an empty stomach might be counter productive.” 

Zelda smiled gratefully. “That sounds lovely.”

As if charmed by the princess, Paya blushed wildly and tried to hide it behind her fingers, executing another bow that just about toppled her over. She mumbled something incomprehensible and bolted out of the door, leaving Zelda to herself again. The water basin was put to good use as Zelda rinsed the oil out of her hair, feeling the golden tendrils become smooth again. After she dried it well enough, she redressed in her newly cleaned Hylian garb and gazed about her temporary room. It was small and cozy, and the bed beckoned to her seductively, but a small shake of her head discouraged the thought of laying down and closing her eyes. She would rather not relive another nightmare when she had enough reminders of her foolishness in the daylight, and a itching restlessness was consuming her otherwise. The room was becoming more and more stuffy by the second.

The small window by the bed should fit her through it, and after yanking the old thing up to check for a safe landing point, a bed of hay conveniently welcomed her. Neri and Storm happily hung out and snacked on the pile, and the stallion nickered a hello as she carefully lowered herself out of the window. She’d have to make quick work of her escape; if Neri was still in the village, then Link couldn’t be too far either. Zelda wasn’t quite heartened enough to confront him yet. In fact, the mere thought of him seized a point in her chest painfully, enough that she lost her footing and was free falling. 

An unbidden shriek tore from Zelda’s throat, and paired with her airborne form, the horses spooked. It was nothing short of a spectacle, and if Link wasn’t there in the next couple of seconds, someone would be.

Thankfully, in the meager amount of time it took for gravity to pull her to the ground, Zelda was able to aim her trajectory into the pile of hay. Neri rounded the edge of the house and disappeared, but Storm shook his head, pawed at the ground as if weighing his options, and returned to Zelda. 

“What a good boy,” she cooed, stroking the length of his forehead before swinging herself upon his back. She’d never ridden bareback and called upon the memory of Link borrowing the two mares from the day before, clutching a lock of hair at the back of Storm’s neck and giving an experiment kick. He heeded as he always did at a controlled trot that made Zelda bounce uncomfortably; with no stirrups, she had no idea how to post. But time didn’t allow for her to ponder this for much longer. At the commotion, Dorian, one of Impa’s guards, came around the corner to inspect the ruckus. He pitched forward at the sight of Zelda, a question upon his tongue. Before he could externalize it, Zelda kicked Storm’s sides with enough force to excite him into a canter that quickly lengthened his stride into a gallop. 

“Princess, wait!” Dorian had dived out of the way to avoid being pummeled by hooves, but instead of chasing after her, he raced into Impa’s home to presumably warn her of Zelda’s escape. Zelda grit her teeth at herself for feeling like such a hostage in her own good friend’s home, but it was a stark truth that bent her over Storm’s back and urged him out of the village. She needed to get away from them all. She would rather leave before Link did and stick it out in the wilderness for a few days with he small knowledge of combat Link had been feeding her and come back when she knew he would have fled from his position both at her side as her knight, and from his position in her heart.

What a pathetic way to realize the extent of her feelings for such a cursed man. 

Link wouldn’t be too far behind, especially now that Impa was aware of her swift departure. The field and mares where the Lynel was brought down quickly came into view as Storm ate up distance, positively raring to expend the pent up energy he collected at Zelda’s reluctance to run him so fast. And fast he was. 

The pub was in sight now, but in fear of being recognized, Zelda veered off course into the Lanayru Wetlands. Storm’s beautiful white coat and her clothes were already being pelted by mud and swampy water, but Zelda could only focus on the rapid pace of her heart and wonder if it would burst within her, saving her from the inevitable wrath of her knight. 

She inadvertently pulled Storm up to a slow walk as reality, unforgiving, dawned on her again: Link could chose not to chase her. Why would he? A man relieved of his duties and with no obligation to her, moral or lawful; he could happily tromp on to Hateno or Tarrey Town or Akkala or _wherever_. Without her. 

Shell-shocked as she was, Zelda did not realize the Hinox she came upon until Storm stopped and stomped the ground twice, raising his snout in the air to give a piercing bray that alerted each party to the others presence. The chap probably thought he was doing his job, and well at that.

With a groan that made the water tremble around Storm’s legs, the Hinox sat up on the raised earth he slumbered upon, blinking on bloodshot eye open. The thing was stupidly slow, and Zelda was up for the chance to test out some of the moves she was taught. Anything to occupy her mind. 

As the Hinox turned and focused that eye on her, Zelda pointed her steed to the side and drew her bow carefully, unbending one finger to aim. A deep breath and a sore wrist later, the arrow was flying and hit its mark as sure as anything; the monster bellowed, the blow knocking him flat onto his back. Just as he went down, an all too familiar voice infiltrated her mind.

_Princess, where are you?_

Zelda ground her teeth so hard they creaked. Storm shifted nervously underneath her as the Hinox lifted himself to find his footing, emitting a menacing gurgle. 

_Don’t call me that. You do not answer to me any longer._

Before he could say anything else, Zelda cut herself off from Link for the first time,. It was worse than when he cut her off in the past, so much so that the severed connection made her cry out in grief. 

The Hinox, incapable of sympathy with an arrow in his eye, uprooted a nearby tree and brandished it like a weapon. At Storm’s warning snort roused herself and spurred into action.

“Watch it!” She warned Storm, yanking him to the side. He obeyed just in time, the tree crashing down where they stood a second before. If she could take down such a foe, then it would prove how well Zelda could fare on her own.

The Hinox swung again, but Zelda was prepared this time. Instead of side-stepping, she spurred Storm straight toward the monster’s bowed legs and slashed at them with a broadsword. Wounds opened and the Hinox roared as thick blood poured down his legs. In retaliation, he put his great fists together and pummeled the ground, throwing Storm off balance. Zelda shrieked as she was tossed from his back like a doll, rolling halfway into the water. One of her knees protested to any weight she put on it, but she rose to her feet regardless, focusing enough energy into it to halt the pain. The Hinox turned just as she rushed forward, a guttural yell rising from the depths of her belly as she ran under the monster’s legs again, slashing all the while. 

Blood rained down and blinded her for a precious second; all she knew was pain and the feeling of weightlessness as she was flung through the air again. Bleary hoofbeats and her inability to breath told her that she was underwater, and yet she had not felt the impact. Zelda managed to stand as Storm came up on her side, and she gripped at his mane to remain upright. Another snort of warning and the Hinox was bearing down on them, the log already on its down swing. Zelda was reminded of her near-death experience with Link and the Guardians one hundred years ago, and like that time, her arm raised before she realized what she was doing, golden bleeding from her fingertips.

Storm, startled by the light, slid away despite being utterly blinded and left Zelda to drop to her knees in the water, her power cutting off. But it only took those few second for the Hinox’s head to be pulverized. It’s body dropped to the ground, useless and expired, giving way to a wave of ash. 

Zelda had no time to celebrate her hard earned victory, her injuries keeling her over in a symphony of pain. Her voice joined the mix, convoluted and not quite her own, and she was about to fall headfirst into the water again when she felt rather than heard hoofbeats. A string of curses where sitting on the tip of her tongue, and she was ready to release the onslaught on her horse when she looked up into the gentle eyes of Neri.

She was scooped up before she registered what was happening, and then they were riding, hard. 

“Storm—”

“Will wait here, or find his way back to the village. Stop talking.”

Link was livid after their mishap in the Lost Woods, but this was an altogether different side of him. She couldn’t see his face as she was, but rather felt his stiffness in the grip around her waist and the intense beating of his heart against her back. But never had she heard him use his voice with such force, nor had he given her such a strong command. When she opened her mouth to protest, he reached up and cupped a hand over her mouth, still rigid, but as gentle as he always was with her.

_“Enough.”_

Was he on the verge of tears? Again, it was hard to tell, and Zelda was having a harder time keeping her silence with each jarring hoofbeat. Her injuries, although not life threatening, were horribly painful. Because of this, the ride felt much longer than it really was, and she almost cried tear of relief when she realized they had arrived in front of Impa’s house. 

Link didn’t let anyone close. Even as Dorian and Cado leapt forward to help Zelda down from the saddle, he immediately reached up and cradled her against his chest, pushing through the ranks of concerned onlookers. Zelda closed her eyes against the prying eyes, turning into Link’s embrace and allowing him to carry her up the stairs. She spent all of her fight on the Hinox and couldn’t resist his hold even if she had the energy to. 

Paya burst through the doors and held them open as they approached. She gasped at the sight of Zelda; her clothes torn, the vulnerable skin scraped and bloodied underneath. Blood, mostly the Hinox’s, left a stark stain of red down the length of her hair. 

“Hurry, Master Link!”

And he did so, rushing to the room Zelda had slept in the night before. Paya barged in seconds later to Zelda already half undressed, Link working on her trousers as she weakly pushed at him, the beginnings of a sob rising in her throat. 

“Master Link, stop! She is scared, can’t you see?”

“And she will keep writhing in pain and bleeding if we do not clean these wounds,” he shot right back at the Sheikah, the raw desperation in his voice halting both women. “Go, and come back with any healing herbs you can find. And my pack.”

Seeing that Zelda had begun to help Link take off her ruined clothing, Paya merely nodded and broke away to do as she was told, but not without a lingering look that puzzled Zelda. 

“You may hate me later, but I _will_ inspect your wounds.”

The embarrassment of him seeing her undergarments had faded away at the vulnerability she saw him working through as he dabbed at any bleeding cuts. 

“Idiotic. Facing a Hinox like that—old kin. Why, Princess?” He implored her, and she was captured by his haunted eyes. 

“Don’t call me that,” she diverted, turning her head to avoid his gaze. He simply grasped her chin and forced her to look at him. She bit her lip as Paya slipped into the room again, but the girl simply dropped the items with a maidenly squeal, covering her face and running out the door again at the sight of their faces so close together. 

Link sighed hard through his nose and released her to pick through the fallen herbs. From his pack he miraculously drew a mortar and pestle to grind up the medicinal herbs, which he worked at immediately. After a long, stony minute, Link finally raised his voice again. 

“Why are you so intent on leaving me behind?” 

His fingers smoothed over her stomach, leaving behind a salve that stung and then completely numbed each slit in her skin. Zelda leaned her head back against the bed, watching him intently. He was purposefully focused on rubbing the herbs into her skin, reaching into his pack to search for something else. 

“I didn’t want to watch you leave me first.”

Surprisingly, he huffed a laugh, though it held no mirth behind it. “Selfish as always.”

“And why wouldn’t I be? I know you have been heavily burdened by your duties, and now that you have a clean slate before you, what’s there to hold back? Why wouldn’t you want to leave and relieve the Sword and rest? What is there for you at the side of a girl who has no claim to _anything?_ ”

He didn’t respond immediately, but instead procured an elixir and commanded her to drink. The mixture was horrifically thick and warm, and she resolved not to ask what the solid bits where. The effect, however, was instant and potent, eradicating any residual pain. It was then that she realized how knotted her muscles were. 

“The fate of the Hero is not a light one,” he admitted, already confirming her worst fears. Now she would get to watch him nurse her back to health, pack up, and watch him go. He turned as if aware of her thoughts, expression souring. “But I am sick of you projecting feelings and intentions onto me. Saying that I am crushed by this fate, that I want to run away to Hateno, run away from you.”

“Don’t you?” She whispered, her tears returning.

“You are my reason for existing,” he replied just as quietly. “What am I supposed to do, retiring to the countryside? After everything that we went through, everything that I had to do just to get you back? And you chase me away with your words and you even run away from me. What am I supposed to do with you, Princess?”

“I’m not a princess,” Zelda cried, clutching the hand that was working away at her arm like it was her lifeline. “I’m not anything. I don’t know if the people of Hyrule will want me after being left to their own devices for so long. I don’t know if _you_ want me after waking up only knowing your name and being told to charge a castle with a demon pig and some princess inside. What sort of existence is that?”

Link returned her grip, leaning forward so that they were practically nose to nose. “It is the existence that I chose. I’ve chosen you, ever since the beginning. I did not pledge myself to a princess—I pledged myself to you. So it matters not to me who you become of what you do as long as I can be by your side. You are important to me.”

“You are the only one I have left.” And she was full out sobbing like a newborn baby, nestled in Link’s arms, never mind her injuries. He untied his hood and wrapped it around her.

“Where’s Impa?” She murmured some time after her cries reduced to intermittent hiccups.

“What happened to depending on me and trusting that I’d never run away?” Link said, as if he hadn’t heard her.

“Impa was entirely right when she said you have no obligations toward me, and I saw the way you looked when you suggested we got to Tarrey Town. You looked wistful when you spoke about that little cottage.”

“I only thought about taking you there with me. It was the thought of you and I resting in Tarrey Town, not some sort of solitary confinement or hiding myself away from you.”

Glad that he was busy binding her wounds, Zelda couldn’t help but to smile briefly. “Trust is something that needs to be built. We’re practically strangers, aren’t we?”

Link’s head came up fast at that, and his frown was so severe that she worried his face would stick that way. “I may not have told you the extent of my knowledge of the past, but I know enough not to call us strangers, Princess.”

“Please stop calling me that.” Stubbornness set her jaw against Link’s, and he relented after a staring match.

“What would you have me call you, then?”

“By my name, naturally. Since you are devoting yourself to me as a person, we are equals.”

The tips of Link’s ears reddened unexpectedly at that, and he bowed his head to continue to knot her bindings. 

“Then, Zelda, from this moment and onward until my last breath, I dedicate my life to seeing the protection of your own, as an equal. I will never leave you, unless you ask it of me. No matter the trial, I will stand by your side and weather it with you. Nothing other than death with separate you and I from this point forth.”

And the Master Sword was offered up to her with two open palms and a hung head. Zelda stood with little hesitation and gripped the sacred sword, feeling its response resound faintly in the back of her mind. She set the sword down at her side, surprising Link out of his bow and giving her just enough time to reach forward and take his hands.

“I’m sorry for being foolish. I can’t promise you things like this won’t happen in the future, but next time I do promise that I will come to you first and drag you into it before I go and get myself all scraped up. Thank you for staying, Link. I can’t quite put it into words.”

“You don’t have to,” he murmured, releasing one of his hands to swipe a thumb at the tender skin under her eye. She felt his consciousness flow into hers just then, and this time she let him. In those couple of moments, Zelda felt as if she truly understood what was going on in that head that always made her wonder, and a sudden fondness burst forth made her sigh and nestle her cheek into Link’s hand. Something like a hot flash emigrated to her mind before Link pulled away, rummaging through his pack again. This time he came out with clothes that so resembled her field garb she wore in that past, it made her gasp. 

“I believe you should rest first, but I get the feeling that you’ll be sneaking out to see Impa soon anyway. This was made in anticipation of your return and designed similarly to your previous sets of clothes.” 

He turned respectfully as she inspected the clothes in awe and then quickly threw them on. Their circumstances reminded her of the past when they would visit one of the three ancient Springs for a prayer session, and she felt just as tired as a full day soaking away in that water and her day was not yet half over.

Link turned at her consent, and after a good roving with his eyes, he approved. Zelda, although depleted of energy, felt herself stand a little straighter. Even if the ground beneath was still shaky, she knew that they had one another to hold onto.

Paya chose that moment to knock and stammer out, “Grandmother is awake and invites you both to lunch with her.”

They both took heart from a shared, long look, and Link asked the million rupee question:

“Are you ready?”

She could say no, and knew that everyone would respect her wishes and wait. A couple of days was nothing to one hundred years. But Zelda was tired of waiting, and she was tired of running away from herself and trying to keep everyone in her safe little bubble. 

“Yes.”


End file.
